Systems and methods for transferring data from remote sites

ABSTRACT

A system includes a cloud-based computing system communicatively coupled to a first communication network. The system includes one or more remote terminal units (RTUs) configured to control operations of one or more well devices associated with a hydrocarbon well, wherein the one or more RTUs are inaccessible to the first communication network. The system also includes a mobile computing device configured to communicatively couple to the one or more RTUs via a second communication network in response to the mobile computing device being within a coverage range of the second communication network. The mobile computing device is also configured to download data from the one or more RTUs via the second communication network, communicatively couple to the cloud-based computing system in response to detecting access to the first communication network, and transmit the data to the cloud-based computing system via the first communication network.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to improved monitoring ofoperations at a hydrocarbon well site. More specifically, the presentdisclosure relates to acquiring data from a remote hydrocarbon wellsite.

As hydrocarbons are extracted from hydrocarbon reservoirs viahydrocarbon wells in oil and/or gas fields, the extracted hydrocarbonsmay be transported to various types of equipment, tanks, and the likevia a network of pipelines. For example, the hydrocarbons may beextracted from the reservoirs via the hydrocarbon wells and may then betransported, via the network of pipelines, from the wells to variousprocessing stations that may perform various phases of hydrocarbonprocessing to make the produced hydrocarbons available for use ortransport.

Information related to the extracted hydrocarbons or related to theequipment extracting, transporting, storing, or processing the extractedhydrocarbons may be gathered at the well site or at various locationsalong the network of pipelines. This information or data may be used toensure that the well site or pipelines are operating safely and that theextracted hydrocarbons have certain desired qualities (e.g., flow rate,temperature). However, given the remote locations in which hydrocarbonwell sites are located, it may be challenging to access or communicatethese information or data to a centralized system or location to beprocessed and/or analyzed. Accordingly, it is now recognized thatimproved systems and methods for accessing data from remote sites, suchas a hydrocarbon well site, are desirable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment, a system includes a cloud-based computing systemcommunicatively coupled to a first communication network. The systemincludes one or more remote terminal units (RTUs) configured to controloperations of one or more well devices associated with a hydrocarbonwell, wherein the one or more RTUs are inaccessible to the firstcommunication network. The system also includes a mobile computingdevice configured to communicatively couple to the one or more RTUs viaa second communication network in response to the mobile computingdevice being within a coverage range of the second communicationnetwork. The mobile computing device is also configured to download datafrom the one or more RTUs via the second communication network,communicatively couple to the cloud-based computing system in responseto detecting access to the first communication network, and transmit thedata to the cloud-based computing system via the first communicationnetwork.

In another embodiment, a method includes communicatively coupling, via aprocessor, to one or more remote terminal units (RTUs) in response tothe processor being within a distance to the one or more RTUs, whereinthe one or more RTUs are configured to control operations of one or morewell devices associated with a hydrocarbon well. The method includesdownloading, via the processor, data from the one or more RTUs via afirst communication network. The method includes communicativelycoupling, via the processor, to a cloud-based computing system inresponse to detecting access to a second communication network, whereinthe one or more RTUs are inaccessible to the second communicationnetwork. The method also includes transmitting, via the processor, thedata to the cloud-based computing system via the second communicationnetwork.

In yet another embodiment, a drone device includes a motor and aprocessor. The processor is configured to receive mapping informationcomprising one or more locations of one or more remote terminal units(RTUs), wherein the one or more RTUs are configured to controloperations of one or more well devices associated with a hydrocarbonwell. The processor is configured to cause the motor to operate suchthat the drone device flies to the one or more locations of the one ormore RTUs. The processor is configured to communicatively couple to theone or more RTUs in response to the drone device being within a coveragerange of a first communication network. The processor is configured todownload data from the one or more RTUs via the first communicationnetwork. The processor is configured to communicatively couple to acloud-based computing system in response to detecting access to a secondcommunication network, wherein the one or more RTUs are inaccessible tothe second communication network. The processor is also configured totransmit the data to the cloud-based computing system via the secondcommunication network.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentembodiment disclosed herein will become better understood when thefollowing detailed description is read with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which like characters represent like partsthroughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a communication architecture of anindustrial enterprise that leverages a cloud-based computing system, inaccordance with embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example hydrocarbon sitethat may produce and process hydrocarbons, in accordance withembodiments presented herein;

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a mobile computing device that maybe employed in the communication architecture of FIG. 1, in accordancewith embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow chart of a method of using the mobilecomputing device of FIG. 3 for automatically accessing and communicatingdata from a remote terminal unit (RTU) to the cloud-based computingsystem of FIG. 1, in accordance with embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a drone device that may beemployed in the communication architecture of FIG. 1, in accordance withembodiments presented herein; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart of a method of using the drone device ofFIG. 5 for automatically accessing and communicating data from a remoteterminal unit (RTU) to the cloud-based computing system of FIG. 1, inaccordance with embodiments presented herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effortto provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all featuresof an actual implementation are described in the specification. Itshould be appreciated that in the development of any such actualimplementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerousimplementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedevelopers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related andbusiness-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a developmenteffort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be aroutine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those ofordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments disclosed herein, thearticles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that thereare one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,”and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may beadditional elements other than the listed elements.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are generally directed towardsimproved systems and methods for accessing data collected at a remotesite, such as a hydrocarbon well site. Moreover, embodiments of thepresent disclosure are related to improving communication architectureto communicate data from a remote site to a cloud-based computingsystem.

Generally, a hydrocarbon well site may include a monitoring system thatmay be placed at various locations at the hydrocarbon site to monitorinformation or data related to certain aspects of the hydrocarbon wellsite. For example, the hydrocarbon well site may include one or moreremote terminal units (RTUs) that may monitor and store information ordata related to operation of the hydrocarbon well site. The monitoredinformation or data may be processed and/or analyzed to provide valuableinsights with respect to various aspects of the hydrocarbon well site.If the hydrocarbon well site is located where suitable communicationnetwork (e.g., Internet) is available, the monitored information or datamay be transmitted to a cloud-based computing system having relativelyhigher computation power as compared to the RTUs to process and/oranalyze the information or data. However, given a hydrocarbon well siteis often at a remote location, where a suitable communication network isnot available, accessing to the monitored information or data may bedifficult or costly (e.g., unrealistic or economically not viable toestablish a suitable communication network for a remote location).Nonetheless, the monitored information or data may be of value to theenterprise operating the hydrocarbon well site. Accordingly, it is nowrecognized that improved systems and methods for accessing data from aremote site, such as a hydrocarbon well site, are desirable.

In particular, in the absence of a long-range wireless communicationnetwork connected to a cloud-based computing system, mobile computingdevices (e.g., mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, laptop computers)may be utilized to download data from RTUs via short-range wirelesscommunication techniques and perform preliminary analyses based on thedownloaded data. Subsequently, when the mobile computing devices arebrought back to locations where suitable communication to thecloud-based computing system is available, the mobile computing devicesmay transmit the downloaded data and/or results of the preliminaryanalyses to the cloud-based computing system. In some embodiments, themobile computing devices may generate an alert or send instructions forassets at the hydrocarbon site to implement based on the preliminaryanalyses performed by the mobile computing devices.

Alternatively or additionally, drone devices or the like may be utilizedto perform similar functions as the mobile computing devices set forthabove. In particular, the drone devices may be automated to fly tovarious RTUs to download data and/or perform preliminary analyses. Assuch, in the absence of a long-range wireless communication network(e.g., Internet), the mobile computing devices and/or drone devicescapable of downloading data via short-range wireless communicationtechniques (e.g., Bluetooth®, infrared (IR) communication, radiofrequency (RF) communication, and the like) may bridge the connectionbetween the RTUs and the cloud-based computing system. It should benoted that while an RTU is used as an example, the systems and methodsdiscussed herein may be used to download data from any suitableappliances (e.g., devices having controllers) capable of storing dataand communicating data via short-range wireless communicationtechniques.

By way of introduction, FIG. 1 illustrates a high-level overview ofcommunication architecture 10 of an industrial enterprise 11 thatleverages a cloud-based computing system 12 to improve operations ofvarious industrial devices. The enterprise 11 may include one or moreindustrial facilities 14, each having a number of industrial devices 16in use. The industrial devices 16 may make up one or more automationsystems operating within the respective facilities 14. Exemplaryautomation systems may include, but are not limited to, batch controlsystems (e.g., mixing systems), continuous control systems (e.g.,proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control systems), or discretecontrol systems. Although the industrial enterprise 11 of FIG. 1 isdescribed with respect to automation systems, it should be noted thatthe industrial enterprise 11 described herein may be applied to otherindustrial environments, such as hydrocarbon production well sites, aswill be detailed below.

Industrial devices 16 may include devices, such as industrialcontrollers (e.g., programmable logic controllers or other types ofprogrammable automation controllers), field devices such as sensors andmeters, motor drives, operator interfaces (e.g., human-machineinterfaces, industrial monitors, graphic terminals, message displays,etc.), industrial robots, barcode markers and readers, vision systemdevices (e.g., vision cameras), smart welders, or other such industrialdevices. The industrial devices 16 may also be part of a mobile controlapplication, such as a system contained in a skid, a truck, or otherservice vehicle. Information or data related to various aspects of theindustrial devices 16 may be monitored via a monitoring system. Themonitoring system may be a controller, a remote terminal unit (RTU), orany computing device that may include communication abilities,processing abilities, and the like. For discussion purposes, themonitoring system will be embodied as RTUs 18 throughout the presentdisclosure. However, it should be understood that the RTU 18 may be anysuitable component capable of monitoring and/or controlling variouscomponents of the industrial devices 16. There may be wiredcommunication or wireless short-range communication (e.g., Bluetooth®,infrared (IR) communication, radio frequency (RF) communication, and thelike) to enable communication (e.g., data transmission) of theindustrial devices 16 and the RTUs 18.

In certain embodiments, the cloud-based computing system 12 may be apublic cloud accessible via the Internet by devices having Internetconnectivity and appropriate authorizations to utilize cloud-basedservices. In some scenarios, the cloud-based computing system 12 may bea platform-as-a-service (PaaS), and the cloud-based services may resideand execute on the cloud-based computing system 12. In certaininstances, access to cloud-based computing system 12 may be provided tousers as a subscription service by an owner of the respectivecloud-based services. Alternatively, the cloud-based computing system 12may be a private network of computers operated internally by theindustrial enterprise 11. For example, the cloud-based computing system12 may involve a set of servers hosting the cloud-based services andresiding on an internal network protected by a firewall. The cloud-basedservices may include, but are not limited to, data storage, dataanalysis, control applications, visualization applications such as thecloud-based operator interface system, reporting applications,Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications, notification services,or other such applications. In certain embodiments, the cloud-basedcomputing system 12 may also be communicatively coupled to a database 20that may store data. The cloud-based computing system 12 may use thedata stored within the database 20 to perform various types of dataanalyses.

Generally, the cloud-based computing system 12 may be dedicated toperforming various types of complex and time-consuming analysis that mayinclude analyzing a large amount of data. As such, in some embodiments,the industrial enterprise 11 may leverage the computing power of thecloud-based computing system 12 to analyze data acquired from a numberof RTUs 18, perform more comprehensive data analyses more efficiently,and/or provide users or personnel with accesses to additionalinformation and operational support to more efficiently manage theoperations of the industrial enterprise 11. As set forth above, theindustrial enterprise 11, such as a hydrocarbon production well site,may be at a remote location where no suitable communication network isavailable for transmitting data from the industrial enterprise 11 to thecloud-based computing system 12. In the absence of a suitablecommunication network (e.g., Internet), the communication architecture10 may use one or more mobile computing devices 22 (e.g., mobile phones,smartphones, tablets, laptop computers) and/or one or more drone devices24 or the like to download data from the RTUs 18, and subsequentlytransmit the downloaded data to the cloud-based computing system 12 whensuitable communication network (e.g., Internet) becomes available.

As an example, in the absence of a network connection, data collected bythe RTU 18 may be stored in the RTU 18 until a user carrying the mobilecomputing device 22 travels near the RTU 18. After the mobile computingdevice 22 is within an effective distance where short-range wirelesscommunication is available (e.g., Bluetooth®, IR communication, radiofrequency (RF) communication, local wireless network, or the like), themobile computing device 22 may download the data stored on the RTU 18and store the downloaded data in the mobile computing device 22.Subsequently, the mobile computing device 22 may transmit the downloadeddata to the cloud-based computing system 12 after the mobile computingdevice 22 is brought to a location where a network connection (e.g.,accessible to cloud-based computing system 12) is available. In certainembodiments, the mobile computing device 22 can download and store datafrom multiple RTUs 18 and transmit the downloaded data to thecloud-based computing system 12 when a communication link to thecloud-based computing system 12 is established. As another example, inthe absence of a network connected RTU 18, the drone device 24 may flyto one or more RTUs 18 to download data and subsequently fly to alocation where network connection is available and transmit thedownloaded data to the cloud-based computing system 12. In this manner,by utilizing the one or more mobile computing devices 22 and/or the oneor more drone devices 24 as part of the communication architecture 10,even in the absence of network connection, the communicationarchitecture 10 may transfer data stored on the RTUs 18 to thecloud-based computing system 12.

In certain embodiments, the communication architecture 10 may includeseparate cloud gateways 26 at the respective industrial facilities 14 toprovide communication to the cloud-based computing system 12. Forexample, the cloud gateways 26 may serve as intermediaries in acommunication link between the mobile computing devices 22 or the one ormore drone devices 24 and the cloud-based computing system 12. In thiscase, the one or more mobile computing devices 22 and/or the one or moredrone devices 24 may upload the downloaded data to the cloud-basedcomputing system 12 via the cloud gateways 26.

As mentioned above, the cloud-based computing system 12 may also beimplemented in other industrial environments such as a hydrocarbon wellsite, and the like. Keeping this in mind, FIG. 2 illustrates a schematicdiagram of an example hydrocarbon site 30 that may employ thecloud-based computing system 12 to assist in the operation andmaintenance of various well devices at the hydrocarbon site 30. In theillustrated embodiment, the hydrocarbon site 30 may be an area in whichhydrocarbons, such as crude oil and natural gas, may be extracted fromthe ground, processed, and stored. As such, the hydrocarbon site 30 mayinclude a number of wells and a number of well devices that may controlthe flow of hydrocarbons being extracted from the wells. In oneembodiment, the well devices at the hydrocarbon site 30 may include anydevice equipped to monitor and/or control production of hydrocarbons ata well site. As such, the well devices may include pumpjacks 32,submersible pumps 34, well trees 36, and the like. After thehydrocarbons are extracted from the surface via the well devices, theextracted hydrocarbons may be distributed to other devices such aswellhead distribution manifolds 38, separators 40, storage tanks 42, andthe like. At the hydrocarbon site 30, the pumpjacks 32, submersiblepumps 34, well trees 36, wellhead distribution manifolds 38, separators40, and storage tanks 42 may be connected together via a network ofpipelines 44. As such, hydrocarbons extracted from a reservoir may betransported to various locations at the hydrocarbon site 30 via thenetwork of pipelines 44.

The pumpjack 32 may mechanically lift hydrocarbons (e.g., oil) out of awell when a bottom hole pressure of the well is not sufficient toextract the hydrocarbons to the surface. The submersible pump 34 may bean assembly that may be submerged in a hydrocarbon liquid that may bepumped. As such, the submersible pump 34 may include a hermeticallysealed motor, such that liquids may not penetrate the seal into themotor. Further, the hermetically sealed motor may push hydrocarbons fromunderground areas or the reservoir to the surface.

The well trees 36 or Christmas trees may be an assembly of valves,spools, and fittings used for natural flowing wells. As such, the welltrees 36 may be used for an oil well, gas well, water injection well,water disposal well, gas injection well, condensate well, and the like.The wellhead distribution manifolds 38 may collect the hydrocarbons thatmay have been extracted by the pumpjacks 32, the submersible pumps 34,and the well trees 36, such that the collected hydrocarbons may berouted to various hydrocarbon processing or storage areas in thehydrocarbon site 30.

The separator 40 may include a pressure vessel that may separate wellfluids produced from oil and gas wells into separate gas and liquidcomponents. For example, the separator 40 may separate hydrocarbonsextracted by the pumpjacks 32, the submersible pumps 34, or the welltrees 36 into oil components, gas components, and water components.After the hydrocarbons have been separated, each separated component maybe stored in a particular storage tank 42. The hydrocarbons stored inthe storage tanks 42 may be transported via the pipelines 44 totransport vehicles, refineries, and the like.

The well devices may also include monitoring systems that may be placedat various locations in the hydrocarbon site 30 to monitor or provideinformation related to certain aspects of the hydrocarbon site 30. Themonitoring system may be a controller, a remote terminal unit (RTU), orany computing device that may include communication abilities,processing abilities, and the like. As set forth above, for discussionpurposes, the monitoring system is embodied as the RTU 18 throughout thepresent disclosure. However, it should be understood that the RTU 18 maybe any component capable of monitoring and/or controlling variouscomponents at the hydrocarbon site 30.

The RTU 18 may include sensors or may be coupled to various sensors thatmay monitor various properties associated with a component at thehydrocarbon site. The RTU 18 may then analyze the various propertiesassociated with the component and may control various operationalparameters of the component. For example, the RTU 18 may measure apressure or a differential pressure of a well or a component (e.g.,storage tank 42) in the hydrocarbon site 30. The RTU 18 may also measurea temperature of contents stored inside a component in the hydrocarbonsite 30, an amount of hydrocarbons being processed or extracted bycomponents in the hydrocarbon site 30, and the like. The RTU 18 may alsomeasure a level or amount of hydrocarbons stored in a component, such asthe storage tank 42. In certain embodiments, the RTU 18 may be iSens-GPPressure Transmitter, iSens-DP Differential Pressure Transmitter,iSens-MV Multivariable Transmitter, iSens-T2 Temperature Transmitter,iSens-L Level Transmitter, or Isens-IO Flexible I/O Transmittermanufactured by Rockwell Automation®.

In one embodiment, the RTU 18 may include a sensor that may measurepressure, temperature, fill level, flow rates, and the like. The RTU 18may also include a transmitter, such as a radio wave transmitter, thatmay transmit data acquired by the sensor via an antenna or the like. Thesensor in the RTU 18 may be wireless sensors that may be capable ofreceive and sending data signals between RTUs 18. To power the sensorsand the transmitters, the RTU 18 may include a battery or may be coupledto a continuous power supply. Since the RTU 18 may be installed in harshoutdoor and/or explosion-hazardous environments, the RTU 18 may beenclosed in an explosion-proof container that may meet certain standardsestablished by the National Electrical Manufacturer Association (NEMA)and the like, such as a NEMA 4X container, a NEMA 7X container, and thelike.

The RTU 18 may transmit data acquired by the sensor or data processed bya processor to other monitoring systems, a router device, a supervisorycontrol and data acquisition (SCADA) device, or the like. As such, theRTU 18 may enable users to monitor various properties of variouscomponents in the hydrocarbon site 30 without being physically locatednear the corresponding components.

In operation, the RTU 18 may receive real-time or near real-time dataassociated with a well device. The data may include, for example, tubinghead pressure, tubing head temperature, case head pressure, flowlinepressure, wellhead pressure, wellhead temperature, and the like. In anycase, the RTU 18 may analyze the real-time data with respect to staticdata that may be stored in a memory of the RTU 18. The static data mayinclude a well depth, a tubing length, a tubing size, a choke size, areservoir pressure, a bottom hole temperature, well test data, fluidproperties of the hydrocarbons being extracted, and the like. The RTU 18may also analyze the real-time data with respect to other data acquiredby various types of instruments (e.g., water cut meter, multiphasemeter) to determine an inflow performance relationship (IPR) curve, adesired operating point for the wellhead, key performance indicators(KPIs) associated with the wellhead, wellhead performance summaryreports, and the like.

Although the RTU 18 may be capable of performing the above-referencedanalyses, the RTU 18 may not be capable of performing the analyses in atimely manner. Moreover, by just relying on the processor capabilitiesof the RTU 18, the RTU 18 is limited in the amount and types of analysesthat it may perform. Moreover, since the RTU 18 may be limited in size,the data storage abilities may also be limited. Keeping the foregoing inmind, in certain embodiments, the information or data stored in the RTU18 may be transmitted (e.g., via the mobile computing device 22 and/orthe drone device 24) to the cloud-based computing system 12. That is incases that connection to a suitable communication (e.g., Internet) isnot available, the information or data stored in the RTU 18 may betransmitted to the cloud-based computing system 12 using the mobilecomputing device 22 and/or the drone device 24 as intermediary datacarrier. The cloud-based computing system 12 may use its largerprocessing capabilities to analyze data acquired by multiple RTUs 18. Incertain embodiments, the mobile computing device 22 and/or the dronedevice 24 may also perform preliminary analyses based on the datacollected by the RTU 18. The results of the preliminary analyses mayalso be transmitted to the cloud-based computing system 12.

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of the mobile computing device 22that may be employed in the communication architecture 10 of FIG. 1. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the mobile computing device 22 may include acommunication component 50, a processor 52, a memory 54, a storage 56,input/output (I/O) ports 58, a display 60, and the like. Thecommunication component 50 may be a wireless or wired communicationcomponent that may facilitate communication with different RTUs 18,gateway communication devices of the cloud gateways 26, the cloud-basedcomputing system 12, the various control systems, and the like. Theprocessor 52 may be any type of computer processor or microprocessorcapable of executing computer-executable code. The memory 54 and thestorage 56 may be any suitable articles of manufacture that can serve asmedia to store processor-executable code, data, or the like. Thesearticles of manufacture may represent computer-readable media (i.e., anysuitable form of memory or storage) that may store theprocessor-executable code used by the processor 52 to perform thepresently disclosed techniques.

The memory 54 or the storage 56 may be used to store data downloadedfrom the one or more RTUs 18. The memory 54 and the storage 56 may beused to store data received via the I/O ports 58, data analyzed by theprocessor 52, or the like. The memory 54 and the storage 56 may be usedto store data related to the RTU 18. Examples of the data related to theRTU 18 may include an indication of an identity of the RTU 18, alocation (e.g., global positioning system (GPS) coordinate) of the RTU18, a context or relationship of the RTU 18 within the communicationarchitecture 10, a vendor associated with the RTU 18, a model numberassociated with the RTU 18, a serial number associated with the RTU 18,a firmware version associated with the RTU 18, a well device softwareapplication associated with the RTU 18, and the like. The memory 54 andthe storage 56 may be used to store data providing details regarding thewell site associated with the RTU 18. That is, the data may indicate alocation (e.g., GPS coordinates) associated with the well site, a typeof well site that is being monitored and/or controlled. For instance,the well site may be a land oil site, a subsea oil site, a gas site, ashale gas site, or the like.

The memory 54 or the storage 56 may also be used to store an application62, a firmware, an application portability profile (APP), or the like.The application 62 may run in the background or upon execution by auser. The application 62 when executed by the processor 52 may enablethe mobile computing device 22 to function as intermediary data carrierin the communication architecture 10. That is, the application 62 mayenable the mobile computing device 22 to connect to and download datafrom the RTU 18 when the mobile computing device 22 is within aneffective distance of wireless short-range communication (e.g.,Bluetooth®, infrared (IR) communication, radio frequency (RF)communication, and the like) with the respective RTU 18. Subsequently,the application 62 may enable the mobile computing device 22 to connectto and upload data to the cloud gateways 26 or the cloud-based computingsystem 12 when suitable communication (e.g., Internet) is available. Theapplication 62, when executed by the processor 52, may also enable themobile computing device 22 to perform preliminary analyses based on thedata downloaded from the RTU 18. The preliminary analyses may includedetermining whether the data downloaded from the RTU 18 are within anexpected range of values. Examples of data may include extractedhydrocarbon flow rates, temperatures and amounts of hydrocarbons beingprocessed or extracted by components in the hydrocarbon site 30, tubinghead pressure, tubing head temperature, case head pressure, flowlinepressure, wellhead pressure, wellhead temperature, well depth, tubinglength, tubing size, choke size, reservoir pressure, bottom holetemperature, well test data, fluid properties of the hydrocarbons beingextracted, and the like. The application 62, when executed by theprocessor 52, may also enable the mobile computing device 22 to providean alert or indication when the downloaded data are outside an expectedrange of values. It should be noted that the alert or indication may beprovided in any suitable manner (e.g., visual or audio alerts). In someembodiments, the alert may cause the application 62 to alter theappearance of the display 60, the operation of the mobile computingdevice 22, or the like, such that the user of the mobile computingdevice 22 is aware of the alert even when the mobile computing device 22is in a sleep or power-savings mode. That is, the mobile computingdevice 22 may receive the alert, which may cause the mobile computingdevice 22 to exit a current mode of operation (e.g., sleep) to providean indication to the user of the alert.

The I/O ports 58 may be interfaces between the mobile computing device22 and other types of equipment, computing devices, or peripheraldevices. The display 60 may include any type of electronic display suchas a liquid crystal display, a light-emitting-diode display, and anytype of audio transducer such as a speaker. In certain embodiments, thedisplay 60 may be a touch screen display or any other type of displaycapable of receiving inputs from the user of the mobile computing device22. In certain embodiments, results of the preliminary analyses and/orthe alert or indication (e.g., provided when the downloaded data areoutside an expected range of values) may be presented using the display60.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow chart of a method 70 of using the mobilecomputing device 22 of FIG. 3 for automatically accessing andcommunicating data collected by the RTU 18 to the cloud-based computingsystem 12 of FIG. 1. Although the following description of the method 70is provided in a particular order, it should be noted that the method 70may be performed in any suitable order. In addition, although the method70 is described as being performed by the mobile computing device 22, itshould be understood that the method 70 may be performed by any suitablecomputing device.

Referring now to FIG. 4, at block 72, the mobile computing device 22 mayscan a local area for the RTUs 18. For example, the mobile computingdevice 22 may scan for Bluetooth, IR, or RF signals broadcasted by theRTUs 18. The signals broadcast by the RTUs 18 may include identificationdata regarding the RTUs 18 and/or indications of presence of the RTUs18. In certain embodiments, the mobile computing device 22 maycontinuously scan the local area scan the local area at regular orirregular intervals, while the mobile computing device 22 is powered on,regardless of the application being executed on the mobile computingdevice 22.

At block 74, the mobile computing device 22 may establish communicationto RTUs 18 detected during the scan. It should be noted that thecommunication to the identified RTUs 18 may be established automaticallywhen the mobile computing device 22 is within an effective range ofshort-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth®, IR communication,radio frequency (RF) communication, and the like). As such, the RTUs 18may regularly send an identification message to be detected by thescanning mobile computing device 22. In certain embodiments, afteridentifying the RTUs 18, the mobile computing device 22 may send anacknowledge message to the RTUs 18 indicating that the mobile computingdevice 22 has recognized the presence of the RTUs 18. Alternatively, themobile computing device 22 may send identification messages that may bedetected by the RTUs 18, which may then send acknowledgement signals tothe mobile computing device 22.

After the mobile computing device 22 establishes a communication link tothe identified RTUs 18, at block 76, the mobile computing device 22 mayreceive a signal or an indication from each of the connected RTUs 18indicating whether new data is available for download. For example, thesignal or indication may indicate whether there is new data acquired bythe RTUs 18 since the last data downloading to the respective mobilecomputing device 22. In some embodiments, after establishing thecommunication link, the mobile computing device 22 may provide anindication of the data previously acquired from the respective RTU 18and uploaded to the cloud-based computing system 12. The RTU 18 may thenremove a tag or alter the metadata of the previously transmitted data toindicate that the data was successfully uploaded.

Upon receiving the indication that there is new data available fordownload, at block 78, the mobile computing device 22 may download thenew data. At block 80, the mobile computing device 22 may performpreliminary analyses based on the downloaded data. As set forth above,the mobile computing device 22 may determine whether the data downloadedfrom the RTU 18 are within an expected range of values. Examples of datamay include any data acquired by the RTU 18, such as extractedhydrocarbon flow rates, temperatures and amounts of hydrocarbons beingprocessed or extracted by components in the hydrocarbon site 30, tubinghead pressure, tubing head temperature, case head pressure, flowlinepressure, wellhead pressure, wellhead temperature, well depth, tubinglength, tubing size, choke size, reservoir pressure, bottom holetemperature, well test data, fluid properties of the hydrocarbons beingextracted, and the like. It should be noted that the preliminaryanalyses may not involve intensive computing power or significantcomputational time. In other words, the preliminary analyses may beperformed on the limited computing power available via the mobilecomputing device 22, as compared to the computing power available viathe cloud-based computing system 12. The results of the preliminaryanalyses may be saved in the memory 54 or the storage 56 of the mobilecomputing device 22.

At block 82, the mobile computing device 22 may send an alert orindication in response to determining that the downloaded data areoutside the respective expected range of values. For example, an audioor visual alert may be presented via the display 60 of the mobilecomputing device 22. The audio or visual alert may include informationshowing a comparison between the downloaded values and the expectedrange of values. As such, the user of the mobile computing device 22 mayhave knowledge of preliminary assessment with respect to certain aspectsrelating to operation of the hydrocarbon site 30. In some embodiments,after the alert is generated, the mobile computing device 22 may send acommand to the RTU 18 to adjust the operations of a respective machinebased on the alert. By way of example, if the alert indicates that adetected temperature is above a threshold, the mobile computing device22 may send a command to the respective RTU 18 to cease the operation ofthe respective machine.

At block 84, the mobile computing device 22 may upload the data to thecloud-based computing system 12 when suitable communication (e.g.,Internet) is available. As such, the mobile computing device 22 may scanthe area at regular or irregular intervals for a communication link tothe cloud-based computing system 12. After the mobile computing device22 detects the communication link to the cloud-based computing system12, the mobile computing device 22 may send the downloaded data to thecloud-based computing system 12. The data may include the downloadeddata from the RTU 18, as well as results of the preliminary analyses.

Referring back to block 76, if the signal or indication indicates thatthere is no new data available, the method 70 may proceed to block 86where the mobile computing device 22 may determine whether there isanother identified RTU 18 within the proximity. If so (e.g., another RTU18 identified), the mobile computing device 22 may return to block 74and proceed through block 84. If not (e.g., no other RTU 18 identified),the mobile computing device 22 may end the method 70 at block 88. Assuch, the communication architecture 10 may reduce the redundancy ofdownloading and/or analyzing data that has already been downloadedand/or analyzed.

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of the drone device 24 that may beemployed in the communication architecture 10 of FIG. 1. In theillustrated embodiment, the drone device 24 may include a communicationcomponent 100, a processor 102, a memory 104, a storage 106,input/output (I/O) ports 108, a motor 110, and a battery 112. Thecommunication component 100, the processor 102, the memory 104, thestorage 106, the I/O ports 108, and application 114 may correspond tothe descriptions provided above with respect to similar components ofthe mobile computing device 22 of FIG. 3. The motor 110 may be anysuitable drone motor or engine that enables aerial movements of thedrone device 24. The battery 112 may be any suitable rechargeable and/ornon-rechargeable battery or power storage device that is capable ofpowering operation of the drone device 24 (e.g., providing power forvarious components of the drone device 24).

With the foregoing in mind, the drone device 24 may be used in a similarmanner as the mobile computing device 22 described above except for theadditional ability to fly to various RTUs 18 disposed throughout thehydrocarbon site 30. For instance, FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart of amethod 120 of using the drone device 24 of FIG. 5 for automaticallyaccessing and communicating data collected by the RTU 18 to thecloud-based computing system 12 of FIG. 1. Like the method 70, althoughthe following description of the method 120 is provided in a particularorder, it should be noted that the method 120 may be performed in anysuitable order. In addition, although the method 120 is described asbeing performed by the drone device 24, it should be understood that themethod 120 may be performed by any suitable computing device that iscapable of adjusting its position.

Referring to FIG. 6, at block 122, the drone device 24 may receive a mapor mapping information (e.g., global positioning system (GPS)coordinate) of the RTUs 18. The drone device 24 may receive the map viawired or wireless communication, and the map may be stored in in thememory 104 or the storage 106 of the drone device 24. The map may alsoinclude GPS coordinates of the cloud gateways 26 and/or other componentsof the hydrocarbon site 30. In certain embodiments, transmitting of themap to the drone device 24 may be controlled via a controller (includinga processor and memory) at the hydrocarbon site 30.

At block 124, the drone device 24 may fly over the RTUs 18 identified inthe map. For example, after receiving the map of RTUs 18, the dronedevice 24 fly to the locations associated with RTUs 18.

At block 126, after reaching a location that corresponds to a respectiveRTU 18, the drone device 24 may scan for communication signals from therespective RTU 18. For example, as the drone device 24 flies approachesthe location of a respective RTU 18, the drone device 24 may scan alocal area for Bluetooth, IR, RF, or near-field signals broadcast by therespective RTU 18.

At block 128, the drone device 24 may determine whether communicationsignals from the RTUs 18 were received. If the communication signalswere received, the drone device 24 may proceed to block 132. At block134, the drone device 24 may perform the operations of block 74 in themethod 70 as discussed above in FIG. 4. However, if the drone device 24does not receive any communication signal from the respective RTU 18 atblock 128, the drone device 24 may move closer to an expected locationof the respective RTU 18 as identified on the map (block 130). Forexample, the drone device 24 may not receive communication signals fromthe RTUs 18 because the drone device 24 is too high or too far away fromthe physical RTUs 18. Thus, the drone device 24 may change its routeand/or position to get closer to or decrease the distance between itselfand the respective RTU 18. After adjusting its position at block 130,the drone device 24 may return to block 128 and scan again for acommunication signal from the respective RTU 18. As such, the dronedevice 24 may continue to adjust its position until a communicationsignal from the respective RTU 18 is received.

Referring back to block 128, after the communication signal is received,the drone device 24 may proceed to block 132. At block 132, the dronedevice 24 may perform the operations described in blocks 74-84 of themethod 70 described above. That is, the drone device 24 may downloaddata from the respective RTU 18, perform preliminary analyses asdiscussed above, and upload data to the cloud-based computing system 12in response to a communication link to the cloud-based computing system12 being established. It should be noted that, in some embodiment, thedrone device 24 may transmit the alert or indication (block 82) to asuitable computing device within the hydrocarbon site 30 to notify anoperator in addition to or in lieu of providing an indication of thealert on a display of the drone device 24. For example, the alert orindication may be transmitted to a local device capable of receiving thealert or indication from the drone device 24 via a local (e.g., withinthe hydrocarbon site 30) wireless short-range communication network(e.g., Bluetooth®, infrared (IR) communication, radio frequency (RF)communication, and the like). In certain embodiments, in response todetermining that the downloaded data are outside the respective expectedrange of values, the drone device 24 may navigate to (e.g., based on themap of the hydrocarbon site 30) to the local device to transmit thealert to the local device before flying to the next identified RTU 18(e.g., block 124). Upon receiving the alert, the local device maypresent the alert to users or personnel via suitable display, audiooutput, or the like. In certain embodiments, upon receiving the alert,the local device may perform some corrective action (e.g., power downdevice). In addition, the local device may communicate the alert to auser device (e.g., mobile phone, smartphone, tablet, laptop computer)via the wireless short-range communication network. As an example, suchlocal device may be a local computer or a data processing facilitylocated within a particular range with respect to the RTUs 18, within arange of a communication network accessible by the RTUs 18, or thegateway device of the cloud gateways 26.

While only certain features of the present embodiments disclosed hereinhave been illustrated and described herein, many modifications andchanges will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that the appended claims are intended to cover all suchmodifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the presentembodiments.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A drone device, comprising: at least one motor; anda processor configured to: receive mapping information comprising one ormore locations of one or more remote terminal units (RTUs), wherein theone or more RTUs are configured to control operations of one or morewell devices associated with a hydrocarbon well; cause the at least onemotor to operate such that the drone device flies to the one or morelocations of the one or more RTUs; communicatively couple to the one ormore RTUs in response to the drone device being within a coverage rangeof a first communication network; download data from the one or moreRTUs via the first communication network; communicatively couple to acloud-based computing system in response to detecting access to a secondcommunication network, wherein the one or more RTUs are inaccessible tothe second communication network; and transmit the data to thecloud-based computing system via the second communication network. 22.The drone device of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured toreceive one or more communication signals from the one or more RTUsprior to communicatively coupling to the one or more RTUs.
 23. The dronedevice of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to adjust anoperation of the at least one motor to change a position of the dronedevice until the processor receives the one or more communicationsignals.
 24. The drone device of claim 21, wherein the processor isconfigured to perform one or more preliminary analyses on the data priorto transmitting the data to the cloud-based computing system, andwherein the one or more preliminary analyses comprise generating analert in response to determining that the data is outside an expectedrange of values.
 25. The drone device of claim 24, wherein the processoris configured to transmit the alert to a local computing device withinthe hydrocarbon well via the first communication network.
 26. The dronedevice of claim 25, wherein the alert comprises an audio alert, a visualalert, or both.
 27. The drone device of claim 21, wherein the processoris configured to scan for identification data sent by the one or moreRTUs within the coverage range prior to communicatively coupling to theone or more RTUs.
 28. The drone device of claim 21, wherein theprocessor is configured to: send one or more acknowledge messages to theone or more RTUs indicating that the processor has recognized presencesof the one or more RTUs; and receive one or more acknowledgement signalssent by the one or more RTUs, prior to communicatively coupling to theone or more RTUs.
 29. The drone device of claim 21, whereincommunicatively coupling the processor to the one or more RTUs comprisesusing short-range Bluetooth communication, short-range infrared (IR)communication, short-range radio frequency (RF) communication, or anycombination thereof.
 30. A drone device, comprising: at least one motor;and a processor configured to: receive mapping information comprising alocation of a remote terminal unit (RTU), wherein the RTU is configuredto control operation of a well device associated with a hydrocarbonwell; cause the at least one motor to operate such that the drone deviceflies toward the location of the RTU; communicatively couple to the RTUin response to the drone device being within a coverage range of a firstcommunication network; download data from the RTU via the firstcommunication network; perform a preliminary analysis on the data afterdownloading the data from the RTU, wherein the preliminary analysiscomprises generating an alert in response to determining that the datais outside an expected range of values; communicatively couple to acomputing system in response to detecting access to a secondcommunication network, wherein the RTU is inaccessible to the secondcommunication network; and transmit the data and results of thepreliminary analysis to the computing system via the secondcommunication network in response to the processor communicativelycoupling to the computing system and after the processor downloads thedata from the RTU.
 31. The drone device of claim 30, wherein the deviceis a well device associated with a hydrocarbon well.
 32. The dronedevice of claim 30, wherein the processor is configured to send acommand to the RTU to adjust the operation of the well device inresponse to generating the alert.
 33. The drone device of claim 30,wherein the computing system is a cloud-based computing system.
 34. Thedrone device of claim 30, wherein the processor is configured to receiveone or more communication signals from the one or more RTUs prior tocommunicatively coupling to the one or more RTUs.
 35. The drone deviceof claim 34, wherein the processor is configured to adjust an operationof the at least one motor to change a position of the drone device untilthe processor receives the one or more communication signals.
 36. Thedrone device of claim 31, wherein the processor is configured totransmit the alert to a local computing device within the hydrocarbonwell via the first communication network.
 37. The drone device of claim31, wherein the alert comprises an audio alert, a visual alert, or both.38. A drone device, comprising: a processor configured to:communicatively couple to one or more RTUs configured to controloperations of one or more devices in response to the drone device beingwithin a coverage range of a first communication network; download datafrom the one or more RTUs via the first communication network;communicatively couple to a computing system in response to detectingaccess to a second communication network, wherein the one or more RTUsare inaccessible to the second communication network; and transmit thedata to the computing system via the second communication network. 39.The drone device of claim 38 further comprising at least one motorconnected to the processor, wherein the processor is further configuredto: receive mapping information comprising one or more locations of oneor more remote terminal units (RTUs), and cause the at least one motorto operate such that the drone device flies toward the one or morelocations of the one or more RTUs.
 40. The drone device of claim 38,wherein the one or more devices comprise one or more well devicesassociated with a hydrocarbon well.